Exercise boosts brain health, but what kind of exercise provides the greatest benefit? A recent study found that high-intensity exercise improved cognitive function and maintained brain volume in older adults—with effects lasting five years or more.
The study involved 151 older adults (65-85 years old) who engaged in low, moderate, or high-intensity exercise three times a week for six months. They underwent regular cognitive testing (to assess hippocampal function), blood sampling, and MRI scans (to measure brain volume and connectivity) before, during, and after the intervention.
Only the participants who engaged in high-intensity exercise showed improvement in their hippocampal function. They also maintained higher brain volumes and connectivity and higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) than those who engaged in low to moderate-intensity exercise. Higher BDNF levels correlated with better hippocampal-dependent cognitive performance, which endured for five years or longer.
These findings suggest that high-intensity exercise markedly improves brain function in older adults. Learn more about the brain-boosting effects of high-intensity exercise in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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